Sometime back I had a boat at Ambergris caye Belize. I said in another thread recently I have felt comfortable in most of the countries Ive cruised, Belize I didn't. The Cayes were fine but Belize its self? I knew a couple of Canadian prosecutors that were spending 1 year working in the Belize legal system, the stories they told were tradgic. They ownly forfilled 6 mths of their intended 12 mth stay. I had a dealing with the police their, lets just say I felt they were happy the gringo had been robbed, could have just been the day.
Boatie in my opinion is spot on, a gun fight or machete fight with these guys? Not for me, but I agree the appropriate response is decided at the time.
Cheers Dale.

Lived in and cruised Belize for many years without any significant concern for security, but since the brutal attack on the Moorings boat a few years back, have been more cautious. Glad I got those years in.

In addition to attacks on these two cruising boats, there have also been attacks on local fishing boats. All the attacks I know of have occurred from Pelican Cays north. Likely the culprits came from nearby population centers like Dangriga or Belize City.

Location: Dreaming - through the bars to the Chesapeake... Land cabin: near Raleigh, North Carolina

Posts: 463

Re: Belize: Assault and Robbery at Sea

Quote:

Originally Posted by daletournier

Sometime back I had a boat at Ambergris caye Belize. I said in another thread recently I have felt comfortable in most of the countries Ive cruised, Belize I didn't. The Cayes were fine but Belize its self? I knew a couple of Canadian prosecutors that were spending 1 year working in the Belize legal system, the stories they told were tradgic. They ownly forfilled 6 mths of their intended 12 mth stay. I had a dealing with the police their, lets just say I felt they were happy the gringo had been robbed, could have just been the day.
Boatie in my opinion is spot on, a gun fight or machete fight with these guys? Not for me, but I agree the appropriate response is decided at the time.
Cheers Dale.

Sent from my GT-N7105T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Amber Caye? I remember the John McAfee experience from couple of years ago. Even traded messages with him while he was in Guatamalan jail, although at the time I thought it was an intermediary. What a nightmare! So I"m not sure the cruisers who are quitting should base their decision on experiences from that area.

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Sailor_Hutch was born for water. His 130 pounds, well insulated, floats like a bouy. With webbed paws, he gracefully paddles - The Umbrella Man.

My understanding from the report they have NOT caught the 'Perps'.. just the 'Fence's'...

As for the knee jerk response... Yeah... Right Quick Draw MacGraw... bet your real fast with the pillow holster... Jeez..!!
If they had boarded with Machette's instead of guns do you think anything would have been different if the yacht crew had had Machette's..
4 hyper tense fit young guys board a boat full of fat middleaged soft city types... snoring their heads of.. resistance would have resulted in a massacre.
One handles each situation according to its needs... there are times the way of the Bamboo is wiser that that of the Oak.. they lived to tell the tale by not resisting..
Unlike the hero behind the keyboard who'd use a Cruise Missile on every passing boat..
Like most Gun Nuts and Fanatic's one cure fits all..
"Blow Em Away..!!'

The "fences" know who committed the robbery, and if the Belizean authorities were truly serious about catching them or curbing this type of activity, then they could have used much harsher sentencing as a bargaining tool to get the information they needed to bring the perps (if they're not actually one-in-the-same) to justice. The fact that the police are calling the victims liars (no sexual assault) shows who's side they're on. The only way this kind of thing will ever be addressed by the government of Belize is if cruisers and tourists simply stop going there.

Amber Caye? I remember the John McAfee experience from couple of years ago. Even traded messages with him while he was in Guatamalan jail, although at the time I thought it was an intermediary. What a nightmare! So I"m not sure the cruisers who are quitting should base their decision on experiences from that area.

Ha, yeah, funny/tragic episode. Totally bungled by BZ cops. Case study on how to get way with murder paradise.

Friends of mine who lived on Ambergris knew McAffee (total nut case) and the neighbor he alledgely killed. They were familiar with the dispute, were at the crime scene before the police (who never show up anywhere quickly...unless they smell a financial opportunity). Their opinion is that he did it.

The "fences" know who committed the robbery, and if the Belizean authorities were truly serious about catching them or curbing this type of activity, then they could have used much harsher sentencing as a bargaining tool to get the information they needed to bring the perps (if they're not actually one-in-the-same) to justice. The fact that the police are calling the victims liars (no sexual assault) shows who's side they're on. The only way this kind of thing will ever be addressed by the government of Belize is if cruisers and tourists simply stop going there.

Welcome to Belize. An impact on the tourist trade would matter, but cruisers are financially irrelevant and often resented for being "pon we sea" ("on our sea" ). So what cruisers do or dont do wont matter.

A good friend of mine was involved in retrieving the guests from the Moorings charter attack. Local officials did not assist and were apathetic about the event.